Top Web Designers & Web Design Singapore Guide

What is Web Design

Simply put, web design refers to the process of creating the visuals for websites. There are different areas of that you need to know as you plan for your next project. They include:

graphic design

interface design

user experience Design

authoring

search engine optimisation

It can also be defined as the process of

conceptualising

planning

creation

of a collection of electronic files that go on to determine the:

layout

text styles

colours

graphics

structure

images

and other interactive features that together make up your web application and how visitors interact with it.

Importance of Good Web Design

Satisfy your customers:A professional design is about meeting the needs of your site’s visitors. It’s about conveying your message in the shortest time possible without confusing your visitors with unnecessary design items.

Convince search engines to rank up:Search engines don’t look at websites the same way we humans do. No matter how good your site looks aesthetically, if it’s not designed in a manner that makes it easy for search engines to crawl it, then don’t expect it to show up in the search engine result pages.

Your website sets the first impression:Every time a potential customer searches for your business online, the first place they’ll be directed to is your website. It’s the first interaction they have with your business.

Helps you gain a competitive edge:Nothing you do will be enough to knock off your competition when your site is poorly designed.

To avoid Technical Glitches:Any small technical glitch on your site is enough to turn scores of the visitors that check you out away. Broken links, dropped images, and lengthy loading times are among the issues that a professional designer will be helping you remedy.

Key Elements

Every designer is unique in their own unique way of approaching this in terms of the UX and UI. There’s, however, a standard checklist of concepts and items you have no option but to get right.

They include:

Content:It’s impossible to imagine a website without content. Not at such a time when search engines are out to reward higher SEO scores to sites with good content.

Usability:Your website is either usable or not. You can’t force it on your users.

Navigation:Users should be able to figure everything out in a split second, without putting too much thought into the process.

Aesthetics:There’s no denying that part of the reason you’re hiring a web designer is that you’re looking to create a visually stunning website.

Visibility:Aesthetics matter, but they’re not the be-all-end-all of a great design. Even more important is that search engines are able to crawl your site and index it appropriately in the SERPs.

Interaction:Your website isn’t some lifeless piece of object. It must engage with your target audience, communicate back when they reach out for something.

Common Techniques

It is all about creating a website that your users can quickly figure their way around. None of the users has to play a guessing game while interacting with it.

Here are a few techniques that you might be required to implement:

Keep everything simpleWeb design requires you to err on the side of simplicity. Your concentration should be on the things that are relevant to the user. Anything that falls outside that dominion should be considered unnecessary.

Choose a unique style and typographyIt’s possible to brand yourself through typography. You can use it to make yourself distinguishable from your competitors.

Make it predictableSave your customers the trouble of thinking too hard while trying to figure some things out. Your navigation buttons must be intuitive. Just looking at them should be enough to crack their use.

Focus on the userLearn to wear the mind of your users. What do you think makes a great design to them?

Web animationAlways bear in mind that your users value their time more than anything else. If your site loads as slow as a snail that’s run out of slime, then it’s to be expected that a majority of them will leap out.

Pros of Using a Singapore-based Agency

Cost efficiency in human resourcesWeb design and development are usually short term affairs. You do not need to bear the full-time staff salaries, CPF, welfare and operating costs as well as worry about career progression.

Cost efficiency in operating costsMany firms already have computers, software, licences, bulk hosting and script which are co-shared by all their clients so you do not have to spend tens of thousands to purchase these

Shortened time to marketThese firms have already developed and curated libraries of ready codes which they can adapt for you; so you save a lot of time and money developing from scratch

ExperienceExperienced outsourced firms have already completed thousands of projects across a wide spectrum of industries – so you can be spared the many months of expensive trial and error

UX / UI know howExperienced firms have already accumulated a ton of experience in designing the UX / UI needed for the proper impression and usability of your website thereby sparing you months of troubleshooting

SEO and content developmentMany firms have SEO and content experts in-house or they partner with which will spare you more work in hiring more staff

ScalabilityYou will be able to scale up or scale down your work and costs as the project progresses, something which is difficult if you are employing in-house

“We have engaged MediaOne for our website, SEO n SEM services. Great team to work with!”

Agency

Verz Design

About

Verz Design has a diverse collection of projects that they have worked on to-date. Their clientele includes a wide range of collaborative efforts, from designing custom websites for Singapore businesses to creating responsive web designs for desktops computers and mobile devices.

“Its a wonderful experience working with Verz and the team. We strongly recommend their professional service. Keep up the good work!!!”

Agency

iFoundries

About

iFoundries is a top digital agency offering premium website solutions to SME and established companies in Singapore. They are one of the most respected designers not only in Singapore but all over the Pan-Asian region.

“Highly recommended company to work with. The design and development teams are swift in their work and attentive to our needs. I am satisfied with their quality work!”

Agency

Oasis Web Asia

About

This agency was awarded Promising SME 500 and also Excellence in Mobile Marketing as well as Marketing Magazine’s Agency Of The Year Awards 2015 in credit to their achievements in mobile app development and marketing.

“Simon really knows his stuff. He helped to get my website setup together with linked apps really fast. My boss was super impressed!!! What I also like is that he takes care to explain how the process should be run so that gave me a lot of assurance from start to finish. Highly recommended!”

Agency

eFusiontech Web Design

About

eFusiontech is known to take on work of a certain value because their business model curates the best designers and developers to ensure the project is smooth and professionally executed instead of the rushed factory process of many firms in Singapore.

” The most creative, teammate, experienced, and well knowledgeable web solution company.”

Agency

i Concept Digital

About

Heralded as the digital creative agency that specialises in design and 360° digital solutions, I Concept provides turnkey solutions that seamlessly allow all branding and advertising objectives to meet, all at once. From social media management to content marketing, I Concept’s portfolio is a humble showcase of their vast experience handling projects across industries.

“Thank you LS and Jacqueline for a wonderful experience! Service is top notch and right on point. Very happy with my website and great job on the query form, this will definitely make responding to my clients a lot faster with more accuracy.”

Agency

Novage

About

Novage has been in operation since 2010. They design responsive websites of every size for all types of businesses. They will also optimise your website and provide free 1-year local hosting.

“Good customer service after the project finished. Suitable for working long term with them. Very patient and professional, giving lots of useful advice. Thumbs up!”

Agency

Singapore Web Design

About

SWD is keen at helping small businesses in Singapore make the most out of search engine marketing. The agency does so by designing affordable and quality websites for them so that they shift their attention on things that really matter.

Agency

Lemonade

About

Lemonade was established in 2005. Today the agency has a team of over 10 web design and development and SEO experts who register an average of 4 years in customer retention. They have completed projects for over 500 clients.

“Lemonade IT has realiable IT supports! Hope to have continuous work and support for now and in future! 😊”

Agency

Creative-t

About

Creative-t is one of the super affordable SEO agencies that would create an astounding fully functional and SEO enabled website under S$100. This makes it one of the cheapest SEO agencies for small businesses and start-ups in Singapore.

“Very professional and creative. Actually our company were on tight deadline but creative-T and the team did a great job, Delivered in short time and with warranty and training… Thanks guys !!!

Agency

FirstCom

About

FirstCom started rebranding websites in 2010 and has since grown to become a leading design and SEO agencies in Singapore. Most of the agency’s clientele consists of SMEs and MNCs. That’s not only because FirstCom is well versed in SEO and also the agency’s packages are affordable.

“The services rendered by Firstcom Solution had been nothing but amazing from the start. Jacob, who is from the project delivery team had shown incredible professionalism and would always follow up with the regards to the issues on hands. He is definitely an asset to the company and based on my experience with the team, i would definitely recommend their services.”

Agency

WDS

About

WDS would create stunning and highly responsive websites for you complete with SEO at fair prices. Their portfolio has impressive works for renowned brands such as LUSTROUS and SIA GROUP SPORTS CLUB. WDS has been featured in AWWWRDS more than once as the Best Website Designer in Singapore.

“WDS has been very helpful and resourceful throughout the process of revamping our Club website. They are reliable as a vendor and able to deliver timely with very good customer support. We would surely recommend them to companies looking to revamp their website!”

Agency

Vinova

About

Although Vinova counts SEO as one of its core areas of operations, the agency is focused more on web and mobile application development. Founded in 2010, the company is dedicated to helping SMEs with development of integrated apps.

“We engaged the good people of Vinova and was guaranteed of great work. Jon and his team were patient and meticulous in their development works. Keep up the good job!”

Agency

Corsiva Lab

About

Corsiva Lab was founded by a team of entrepreneurs as a digital marketing and creative design agency to help businesses portray professional brand image and achieve high sales revenue by taking advantage of the latest design trends and tapping into data-driven marketing.

“I have engaged Corsiva Lab for my web design project for my company. They provide good development consultation on top of the web design services. Thank you!”

Agency

Elves Lab

About

The agency has been at the forefront of aiding emerging businesses that do not have the financial might of established companies get professional design services. Since July 2000 Elves Lab has provided turnkey solutions to their clients which come at an affordable fee. They can churn out everything from a simple responsive website to complex CMS to the implementation of customised web systems.

“Awesome sales and design team. Prompt reply and everything went so smoothly. Thank you Elves Lab.”

Agency

Wishbone Digital Group

About

Wishbone Digital Group artistic excellence, solid foundation, and technical ingenuity are the basis for their glowing reputation as a top designer in Singapore. In the beginning, this agency only offered design services, but over the years they have increased their portfolio to include the following services.

“One of the best people to work with, well versed with plenty of experience. In my opinion their quality fits their price. They also value add to our requirements so it was a 2 way traffic, working together on our e-commerce project.”

Agency

Smart Hosting and Design Solutions

About

Smart Hosting and Design Solutions has been in business for close to 20 years. It was voted the second-best web design company in Singapore in September 2018. They are not only renowned for their online services, but also for their offline business solutions that complement their design services.

Agency

Digital Marketing Agency

About

This is one of the top web developers in Singapore, and they also offer design and other online solutions in several other countries. They not only offer strategic design ervices, but they also offer complimentary services for an all-around website.

“We were extremely pleased with the turnaround. We now have 95 percent positive results on page one and two on Google.”

Agency

Creative eWorld

About

Creative eWorld specialises in design and developing in-house solutions while also collaborating with other tech companies to provide a wide range of services and products. Creative eWorld is renowned for offering reasonably priced services.

“I really like the Creative eworld company. These people are gave me 100% effort. I am really happy from the service.. Thanks buddy…”

Agency

Aiden Creative

About

Aiden Creative has been operational since 2012 and has made a name for itself by having a knack for implementing trends shaping the modern digital space in Singapore. Aiden Creative harnesses social intelligence, and it is the key differentiator that makes their services worthwhile.

Agency

Above1

About

The agency focuses on two main aspects of design which are building a responsive website and helping their clients in marketing it. They have been in business in Singapore since 2006, and their secret to excellence is in exemplary customer service and support.

Agency

iPixel Creative

About

iPixel Creative is a growing web solutions company based in Singapore, and it includes a small team of creatives that have experience in design, development, and graphic design. iPixel Creative has been in the industry since 2007, and they have acquired Singaporean and overseas clients.

Agency

Krome

About

Krome is an independent design agency that has been operational since 2009, and in less than a decade, their team of designers has been recognized all over Singapore. Krome provides design services to business of all levels right from start-ups to enterprises

“Incredible and certainly knows how to make web designs as user centric as possible, which is a huge plus for us…”

Agency

Notion Age

About

Since 2001, Notion Age has accrued over 140 active clients. Notion Age was voted Singapore’s fifth-best web development company in August 2018, and it has one of the top design agencies slated to take the next decade by storm.

“I have no regret to engaged Notion Age for or Google SEO. They are the most professional SEO consultant compare to the rest I used before.”

Agency

Milan Design House

About

The Milan Design House has been feted for helping startups, and SMEs realize their potential with world class solutions. They are a custom website building and design agency, and they have been operational since 1999 after breaking ranks with HostSG.

Agency

Awebstar Technologies

About

Awebstar is a web design and development company that offers creative landing pages, good striking front pages. Their websites are eye captivating consist of a mixture of glitzy, sober and exciting colours.

“What can I say, Awebstar worked Very good quality renders, quick responses and really professionally on this project and delivered a great service. I will be using Awebstar again without hesitation”

Agency

High-Tech Solutions

About

High-Tech solutions are very passionate about creating the best image for your company and develop cutting-edge websites including online software no matter the size of the business. The main goal is to ensure the website stands out from another website.

“I highly recommend HTS to potential clients who are looking for excellent IT support”

Agency

Oganro

About

Oganro is an online travel, hospitality, software, and web development, specialist. In the travel website, they provide innovative travel portals that complement global standards which suit all the clientele and making user they up-to-date with the latest technology.

Agency

Octal Info Solutions

About

This 11 year old company has established 1200 plus customers from over 40 countries from SMEs to wealth 500 companies. They are one-stop solution for all your web and mobile needs. Their experience helps a client’s idea become a reality.

Agency

Visible One

About

Visible one it is a team of young talented professionals’ designers, developers and digital strategist that are based in Singapore. The team is committed to assist the local companies through the bespoke result-driven solution to digitize their business to keep up the recent technology development.

“Visible One’s team is very professional, liable and results-driven. They are committed to understand their clients’ businesses thoroughly, deliver fresh, strategic insight and execute all-important details accurately.”

Agency

BaizeTech

About

BaizeTech is a Singapore leading web design and development company. The main goal of the company is to provide quality services that include open source customisation, e-commerce, search engine optimisation (SEO) and also mobile app development.

Agency

Calvin Seng Co

About

Calvin Seng it is an online marketing coach that helps businesses drive more sales and bringing business online. It provides result-driven online marketing services to offering digital marketing coach to business owners globally.

“We used Calvin’s service for tutorial videos for our taxi-sharing solution. He finished tasks within time and specifications. He also proactively contributed suggestions to make our product better.”

Agency

SG Interactive

About

SG Interactive is the best and top mobile apps development company in Singapore. Their experience on android mobile apps and IOS apps helps them in delivering authentic and profit-making mobile app-based upon your business.

“OVOC has an amazing team of website designers and logo designers. The experience working with them has been smooth sailing and efficient. Thank you for your patience and great work!”

Agency

APPZIA Technology

About

Appzia is one of the leading software companies in Singapore that provides a customised solutions. They provide clients with innovative inputs, provide sound digital strategies to help clients achieve their objectives.

“Creative minds and brilliant team to work with! Always looking out for your best interests.”

Agency

Web Studio

About

Web Studio designs innovative web sites that work flawlessly with the client’s brand image to promote their business. They take great pride in designing websites ranging from personal, corporate or promotional that meet clients’ specific needs, reflect their branding and are commercially viable.

Agency

Incepte

About

Incepte was founded in the year 2005 as a print media powerhouse in Singapore that later established a digital marketing arm in 2010. At Incepte they thrive in offering only creative and effective solutions to their clients.

“Very glad to have met Michael and worked with his team. Highly responsive, efficient, accountable, very knowledgeable and assuring. Absolutely 5 stars experience.”

Agency

Appiloque

About

Appiloque professes to be accomplished specialists who help clients bring about conversions through the use of user-friendly UX and UI. They work with a range of corporate websites, landing pages, micro-sites, or e-commerce stores which are trending in terms of look and feel and technology.

“Satasme is the best company to get your website made. They had several packages so that we were given a choice. They were always reachable, responsive and they also concerned about our exact necessity very much. Wish to have them with us even in the future.”

Agency

Top3 Media

About

Since 6 years ago Top3 Media has delivered websites that strike the perfect balance between functionality and aesthetics. They also create responsive web designs which is important in Singapore which are very mobile-centric in their internet browsing habits.

Agency

Innomedia

About

Innomedia is one of the leading design and Facebook marketing companies located in Singapore which offers reasonably priced marketing solutions. It was founded in the year 2012 and has helped many businesses to get more visibility online.

“We keep experiencing problems with our website (which was done by another developer), but the team at Innomedia has been helping in solving them every time an issue occurs. Thank you team!”

Agency

VV CARES

About

VV CARES is an agency of certified professionals – every member of their 20+ team has one or two of the industry’s revered certifications: Certified WordPress Designer, MVC Frameworks for Creating PHP Web Applications, and Certified Advanced SEO.

Agency

Wunderfauks

About

Founded in 2010, Wunderfauks is an integrated creative agency focusing on new and innovative experiences. With design as their strong suit, they provide tailored made solutions spanning from graphic design, animation & motion to web design and development. They have also expanded to Cambodia.

Agency

iCreations LAB

About

iCreation Lab started in 2005 in Singapore as an online marketing and design company. The company expanded in 2008 to add a myriad of other activities in their operations, including programming, social media marketing, and web hosting.

Agency

24K Designs

About

24K Designs started in 2009 as a design studio. Today, they have evolved into a creative agency with a focus on responsive website development, mobile app development, graphic design, and online marketing services. 24K Designs’ portfolio is filled with great works for some Fortune 500 brands such as BP.

“Thanks for creating the new website for our company and your SEO really works well.”

Agency

MEDIAPLUS Digital

About

MEDIAPLUS was founded in 2012 and has risen to become a leading design and web development agency in Singapore. The agency provides one-stop internet marketing solutions that include search engine marketing, social media marketing, and search engine optimisation.

“Very professional and able to understand customer’s requirements. Their proposals work well too. Will continue to support them.”

Agency

Groopper

About

Groopper was established in 2014 as an app development company. They are still focused on app development but have since ventured into other fields like digital marketing, web design and development. With a staff of over 20 experts in mobile and web app development and design, the agency is also an SEO exponent.

Agency

MapleTree Media

About

Maple Media is one of the top digital agencies in Singapore. But the agency has been creating websites and content even before the catchphrase “digital” was cool. The agency was established in 2006 and has since distributed 7 coffer table books and over 60 magazines across South East Asia.

Agency

Singapore Best Web Design – SBWD

About

SBWD was established in 2009 and, since then, has delivered 250+ projects across South East Asia mainly in the areas of web design and development and branding. They market themselves as the best agency in Singapore dedicated to developing outstanding websites.

“Thanks to Malvin! It’s been a pleasure working with your company and you. We are truly satisfy by the professionalism and the quality of work of the website, and appreciate the effort of your entire team!”

Agency

Hello Pomelo

About

Hello Pomelo was started in 2014 by two passionate designers who were fed up with gritty websites developed by the leading web developers of the time. The whole idea behind the creation of Hello Pomelo was to offer clients bespoke packages and personalised experience for every project.

“Your spontaneous and creative professionalism is something that we really admire. Thank you for being such an amazing team to work with! Highly recommended.”

Agency

QUAPE

About

QUAPE started in 2006 as a general IT company. The company has been transformed over the years to start providing digital marketing and design and development services. At QUAPE, they manage their own network (AS131582) complete with serves, infrastructure and in-house mobile/web development.

“Superb team. Very friendly and helpful. Was able to assist us immediately whenever we encountered issues. Thanks guys, keep up the excellent work!”

Agency

Dean Loh

About

Dean Loh is an individual who has worked for a number of Fortune 500 brands in his career. His career took off in 1999 when most internet users could only think of Yahoo and Netscape. He has amassed an incredible 18 years experience in web development and SEO.

“Dean is rather helpful. He always try to solve our website questions/problems asap whenever we call for help. His suggestions to our issues are quite practical. Thank you Dean!”

Agency

Cheap Webdesign Singapore

About

Cheap Webdesign was created with SMEs and start-ups in mind. It is a budget SEO and design vendor dedicated to delivering cheap service to small companies that don’t have the financial muscle to compete with established brands in internet marketing.

“Exiga team is fast to deliver first revision of website.It can be as fast as 2-3 days once our requirements submitted them.Website quality and content caught me my surprise ,it is good”

Agency

Fixx Digital

About

Fixx Digital was established in 2010. In a rather crowded landscape of digital marketing, it takes quality or distinction to stand out – Fixx Digital chose the latter. Their good design has set them apart from the pack and have managed to work for some of the biggest brands in Singapore: Singapore Airlines, FairPrice, etc

“One of the best agencies to work with in Singapore. Great service, superb design.”

Agency

Polaris Hub

About

Having been established in 2003, Polaris Hub has garnered about 2 decade’s worth of experience designing and developing websites for clients across different industries in Singapore. Katherine Lu, the founder and leader of the agency since 2003, has over 10 years experience in IT.

“Great working with Katherine and her team for over 20 years, she has been providing me excellent service by help me to design my website and understand my needs. I am honoured to be able to express my deep gratitude for their expertise.”

Agency

Singapore Website Development Agency

About

Singapore Website Development Agency was established in 2009. They provide a range of web services and online reputation management. In the last 10 years alone, the agency has designed over 500 websites and similar projects. From its roots in Singapore city, the agency has spread the roots to 18 countries.

“Recommended web designer and excellent services. Good services provided before engaging, during the development, and after.”

Agency

NERB

About

Nerb was formed in 2011 by a group of young web technologies practitioners. The name “nerb” is an abbreviation of “now everyone reaches better”. The web and development team comprises of over 10 young yet experienced web developers.

“Nerb Media has done an excellent job in developing our checkout page. Han goes the extra mile to ensure that all our feedback is addressed and promptly answered. They are by far, one of the best vendors we’ve enjoyed working with and we highly recommend anyone looking for web design and development to consult Nerb Media.”

Agency

ContentLoop Digital

About

As the name suggests, ContentLoop employs the content loop formula to convince people to believe in a business’s content. The loop consists of five stages: content, convey, connect, contact, and convert. The agency believes in the notion that the leads will keep converting if they love your content.

Agency

USER – User Experience Researchers

About

USER was founded in 2010. It is a leading Information Technology design and development agency with operations all over the Asia Pacific. The agency is focussed on providing UX design services across several areas including mobile app development, web design and development.

“Codigeeks had great project understanding and communication, highly capable with comprehensive skills.”

Agency

Ambient

About

Ambient is a relatively young SEO and design agency, having been founded in 2014. Besides web development and SEO, the agency is has a team of over 50 experts with over 5 years experience in various areas of software development, SEO, and web development.

“Our project is quite complicated, and took much longer than I expected. But the PM was very responsible and nice to help to solve the problems out. Very professional company”

Agency

FASTARTUP

About

FASTARTUP is a creative agency that focuses on helping businesses get ahead of the curve by creating stunning websites. They mainly focus on mobile responsive website designs. In 2016, the company won the Top 15 Honouree Entrepreneur Award that was organised by Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“Knowledgeable and speedy. Friendly and going beyond what you are suppose to get. Having a keen eye for details ensuring nothing is left out.”

Agency

ChillyBin

About

ChillyBin takes pride in creating mobile responsive, fast, and ultra-reliable website design and development solutions for businesses in Singapore. The company was founded in 2009 and has won several awards for their exceptional services.

Structure of Team

Here is a typical makeup of the team structure:

Account Manager:

An account manager strives to strike a balance between your business requirements and results. Your requirements as a client don’t limit their area of activity. They’ll look into your instructions and requirements, and point you in the right direction.

Project Manager:

A Project Manager is tasked with the role of consolidating everyone’s input. It’s their job to ensure everything is delivered on time, and that it corresponds to your vision and requirements. It’s their job to ensure everything flows according to plan, and that all the timeframes and requirements are met.

UX/UI Designer:

Your web development project doesn’t need two separate teams of UX/UI designers. Instead, they need a team that understands these two processes and their role in the design process. Larger companies try to separate the two by hiring both a UX and UI specialist.

Web Designer:

This could be a graphic designer with web experience or a full-stack developer who has built enough skills to create stunning web applications or websites. Their role is to strike a balance between the contribution made by a UX designer and UI designers, without leaning much on either side.

Software Specialist:

Otherwise referred to as a web developer, a software specialist is the party responsible for writing well-designed, testable code using the right mix of software development practices. They’re responsible for creating the user interface and website layout using standard HTML/CSS practices.

Database Specialist:

A database specialist is the person responsible for supporting your business operations by organising all of your data. It’s their responsibility to make sure your data is not only safe but also properly stored and backed up.

SEO Expert:

The SEO expert is the first person from the marketing team that you’ll have to involve in the project. It’s their responsibility to ensure your website is SEO-friendly, which they do by prioritising the end-user. They’re responsible for doing keyword searches and ensuring your website is optimised for search engines.

Content Developer:

A content specialist works with text. Their job is to create content that corresponds to the voice of your brand. In most cases, they’ll be working with an SEO specialist to optimise your website’s content for search engines, especially Google. They’re also the party responsible for populating your website with written information, writing blog posts, and developing a content strategy.

QA Specialist:

A Quality Assurance (QA) Specialist is tasked with the role of ensuring your overall web project meets the required web standards. They’re responsible for testing every single aspect of your web project and ensuring that all the requirements are met. They’ll draw up a testing plan, with web developers expected to send them each version of their web products for assessment.

However the inclusion of the above roles depend on the complexity and scope of your web project.

How to Choose the Right Web Designer in Singapore

You can use the following guidelines to select the best agency in the market:

Visit the agency’s website:The agency’s website is their main selling point. It is an indication that they can do a fantastic job for you if you hire them. There are several things you can check on their website to confirm this. Among them are speed, images used, colour scheme, and navigation.

Look at their portfolio page:While looking at the agency’s site is an excellent first step, it may not always give you all the information you need to know. However, going through their previous work will.

Check out the complete list of services they provide:Nowadays, it is difficult to find companies that focus only on website design. This is because it is just the first step of developing an online presence.

Get their pricing:Some agencies package the design and other deliverables while others provide them as separate services. Others understand the need for SEO and offer it together with SEO as one package.

Ask about the use of a content management system (CMS):Content is king. One of the best ways of turning leads into sales is by producing content for your site. This content educates users about your products and also gives you the chance to display your expertise in a subject matter.

Responsive design:91% of Singaporeans use smartphones to access the internet, 71% uses laptops/desktops while 42% use tablets. You need to account for all of these when designing your website.

Test their knowledge of your company:An agency that wants to design a website for you should know intricate details of your business. They should know your target audience, your competitors, and your unique factor.

Latest design trends:Discoveries are regularly made and incorporated into websites to give them a fresh look and feel.

The availability of the contact person:Many agencies typically brainstorm a project as a team to come up with ideas that will make your website unique. However, the design work is usually left to two or three people in the agency.

Customer support after the end of the project:Many businesses like to run promotions and giveaways to improve the brand’s image and increase engagement with clients.

Updates to the website:Businesses usually discover features they need to add to their website only when they start running it. Some functions are vital and need to be added immediately while others can wait until a later time.

Customer Journey

Research, Goal, and PlanningBefore developing your website or redesigning it, a good agency will first try to understand your business and the goals you have. They’ll invest their time in understanding your requirements and everything else that you’d like to be included in the site.

SitemapAfter gleaning for all this information, the next thing they’ll do is organise it all in a sitemap. A site map operates a lot like an organisation chart for systematising all your web content. A site map tries to clear confusion and logically organise everything in such a way that your users will have an easy time intuitively figuring out your site.

WireframesA site map organises the information of your entire website. Wireframes organise it at the page level. They’re like the blueprint that determines where you place your content on your website.

DesignA website’s design is fashioned from wireframes. In most cases, the design of a site is selected based on the requirements that a client has.

Web DevelopmentThis is the last stage of the designing process. After you approve a design, the project will then be handed to a web developer who’ll begin coding it.

Best Practices

Be Consistent with BrandingBranding is all about telling your business story. Your website has to tell the story accurately, without reinforcing wrong ideas or evoking misguiding feelings about your brand.

Leave Plenty of Negative or White Space between ElementsEvery element on your website should have some space to breathe. There should be no congestion or items appearing like they’re crammed in one area. Use margins to increase the space between web copies, images, and other elements.

Reduce the Choices You OfferBombarding your site’s visitors with so many options doesn’t do them any good. It only sends them in state of analysis paralysis instead. Where you have to offer your visitors an overwhelming number of options, the least you could do is suggest a Course of Action (CTA).

Apply the Rule of ThirdsThe same rule of thirds that applies in photography and fine art still applies in design. This rule demands that you use an overlay of two horizontal and two vertical lines that are equally spaced.

Use BreadcrumbsBreadcrumbs are the signs that remind your visitors where they are and where their current page falls in your site’s navigation.

6 Trends to Embrace For The New Internet Audience

Here are some of the prevailing trends that have gained tremendous popularity here in Singapore and abroad.

PersonalisationPersonalisation starts early in the design process, right from when you start conducting user testing with actual people who will visit your website. When you start developing the sitemap and the design starts taking shape, you can expect to see content-specific page adaptations and dynamic content that caters to specific target audiences and markets.

Voice User Interface (VUI)Voice search is being revolutionised by audio, which is growing and becoming smarter and more sophisticated. It will start providing better-optimised search results for content while evolving to feel conversational and more sophisticated.

Machine Learning and ChatbotsWebsite users today have shown a preference for quick answers and instant feedback. Chatbots are efficient in that they collect feedback and take user queries to grow and improve. This makes for more personalised user experiences.

Augmented Reality (AR)One of the biggest and most interesting challenges will be augmented reality. Some companies are already using the medium to promote products in a new first-person experience. The trend is expected to grow, more so when trying to understanding how products, furniture, and clothing will fit into a user’s life.

Card Layouts and Minimal InterfacesMinimalism is a prominent trend that you can expect to stand the test of time due to its easy usability and cleanliness. It is more important with the ongoing shift to mobile browsing. With that said, brands should stop treating mobile users as an afterthought, since statistics show that mobile has surpassed desktop as the preferred internet access point.

Illustration and GeometryYou will not need to do much research to start noticing more animated iconography and a geometry-based focus in design elements and loaders. These animations will give your web pages a personality and make it feel livelier.

Average Cost of Hiring Web Designers in Singapore

Per Hour BasisIn Singapore, the cost tends to vary between the standard range of $25 and $80.

Customised or Package PricingThere’s the entry-level package, which costs about $3,000; and the premium level for standard customised schemes, which can go for up to $80,000.

Popular Types and Costs of Websites in Singapore

E-commerce Website DesignSome developers will be charging you a listing fee of S$20 to S$30 per product. So, assuming you’re listing 100 products, that amounts to an extra S$2, 000 to S$3, 000. There are grants in Singapore which can pay for part of the cost.

Corporate Website DesignThe cost of designing a corporate website in Singapore varies from firm to firm. But generally, the cost can range from S$2, 000 to S$100, 000 depending on several factors such as the number of pages that you wish to create, style of design, copywriting services offered, SEO placement, Database Integration, eCommerce Functionality, CMS choice, and responsiveness.

Branding Website DesignThe cost of designing a branding website will also vary depending on several factors – functionality, style, number of pages, and the amount of copywriting required.But typically, the cost of designing a professionally done branding website ranges from S$5, 000 to S$20, 000.

Other Types of Websites

Entertainment WebsitesThis category encompasses all websites that offer entertainment value. They include humour sites such as Buzzfeed or webcomics such as xkcd.

PortfolioThese sites showcase your past work in the hopes of winning more clients.

Media WebsitesThese are dedicated to collecting news, gossips, or general stories. They include newspapers and magazines.

Brochure WebsiteIf you need a corporate or business website, and you don’t want to invest a lot in it, then a better alternative would be to go with a brochure website.

Non-Profit WebsitesThese are websites for non-profit organisations. Most of them do feature a donation button that visitors can use to donate to the organisation or for a given cause.

Infopreneurs WebsitesInfopreneur websites bridge the gap between ecommerce and business websites. They’re a unique type of business website that focuses on selling informational products such as videos, ebooks, and tutorials.Personal WebsitesNot everyone is money-oriented. Some people create websites to share their thoughts and nothing more. This type of website can come in the form of a blog, vlog, minutiae or photo diary blog.

Community forumsAs the name suggests, this is a website you create for your users to engage with one another and share ideas and suggestions on specific topics or aspects of life.

Questions to Shortlist A Good Web Designer/Developer in Singapore

How Much Experience Do They Have?Experience is key. You will want to find out is if they’ve handled a similar project before.

What Kind of Websites Have they Been Designing?With this question, you’re interested in finding a professional with the broadest range of experience, who has handled everything — starting from simple micro-site to a complex SaaS project or e-commerce site.

What’s their Procedure for Designing a WebsiteThis is the question that’s going to help you establish on whether you’re dealing with a newbie designer or a real pro with years of experience.

Do they have a Past Client that can Throw in a Positive Word for them?A reliable agency will have all the much-needed reviews and recommendations. But that’s NOT enough because it’s possible to fake it up. What you need is to hear it straight off the horse’s mouth, from one of their past clients who’s willing to step up and vouch for them.

Will you be able to secure the best Designer?Reliable designers are one of the most sought after people. Their work sells, and more clients will, therefore, be flocking in to get their sites designed.

Have they ever been involved with Projects that have Similar Goals to Yours?The designer you decide to go with should be in a position to see where your business is headed. They should be able to see your vision and be able to hinge you closer to it.

How Long do they take to complete a single project from start to finish?You must have a deadline and if you’re going to work with a particular company, it’s crucial that they respect you enough to observe your deadline.

Will I be Assigned a Project Manager?Each member of the team will be assigned a different role to play, but there needs to be someone on the top to make sure that all the effort directed towards the project are well-streamlined.

How Many Rounds of Revisions am I allowed to Request?Just in case you want something changed or fixed, is there a limit as to the number of times you’re allowed to request for revisions or edits. A competent profressional will even allow you to request for revision with every stage of the designing process — instead of waiting for the entire project to be completed to contact them with a list of things that you want them to consider editing

What are their Payment Terms?Many agencies and designers, especially here in Singapore, would be requesting for you to make a deposit first before they can get down to work, after which you clear the remaining balance upon project completion.

Website Design vs. Website Development

A web designer is only involved with drafting the plan of the websites, after which they hand it over to a web developer who codes everything and makes it function.

Web development, on the other hand, refers to the process of taking a design and transforming it into a fully functional website using programming languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and so on.

Many of the agencies named above have both in their headcount. So it will depend on whether you want to have a great design or prefer to have a dependable and powerful backend. Some companies actually hire a creative agency and a web development firm separately.

In essence, it is an all-encompassing term for a website’s usability and aesthetics. Its key components are UX and UI, where the former focuses on usability, and the latter focuses on its aesthetics.

Web developers, on the other hand, are responsible for taking a design and transforming it into a fully functional website. They’re responsible for giving the static website design life by hard coding it using various programming languages, including HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, and a long list of other languages.

What Your Website Needs

Hire Web Designer?

Hire Web Developer?

When looking for someone to create an information hierarchy of all the ideas that you have through IA. The person also has to work on your buyers’ personas and find a way to organise all this information into a hier

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Some to help you understand how users will be interacting with your webste

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Someone to help you figure out if the functionality you’re thinking of is achievable in the first place

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Someone to help you decide on your colour scheme or choose a colour pellet for your design

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Someone to help you decide on the fonts you use

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Someone to help you decide on how your home page will look like

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Someone to help you build a website from a design that you have or which a web designer handed to you

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Someone to explain to you the difference between building your site on a CMS or on pure HTML

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Your existing website needs

Hire Web Designer?

Hire Web Developer?

To switch your website from one CMS to another or from pure HTML to a CMS and vice versa

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Help you Rebrand Your Website

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Fix a broken functionality or bug

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Add new graphics to your website

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Fix a redirect or link problem on your website

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Teach you on how to use your CMS

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Help sort out server issues

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Full Fledged Agency vs. Freelancers

Integrity:Knowing the background and reputation of the people you hire for the job should, therefore, be of utmost importance. When hiring a freelancer, it can be impossible sometimes to judge their professional background because the only proof is their word of mouth.

Value of your Money:While it is natural to think that hiring the services of a freelancer is the most cost-effective way of doing things, it might not be. Most start-up entrepreneurs tend to believe that going cheap is the way to go. However, by failing to look at the bigger picture, they compromise a lot.

Latest SEO Requirements:SEO is the Holy Grail to a successful website. Knowing this, any entrepreneur realizes the need for hiring SEO experts in Singapore who understand the latest SEO requirements and will guarantee that your website gets the desired results in the shortest time possible.

Quality of Services:Professional agencies always follow a workflow procedure as illustrated below;Strategy– they first plan based on practical research of the projectDesign– the website’s overall outlook and customization is definedBuild– top designers in Singapore convert the blueprint into real designs. Core features and extra content is also established at this point.Verification– good designers will test the web site’s performance on various browsers and devices whereas freelancers tend to “wing it” and not checkUnveiling– the website is launched after the final touches have been madeEvaluation– the site’s performance is monitored to detect and correct any irregularities in time.

Resources:Website design in Singapore thrives on world-class resources such as add-ons, tools, and web development kits. Top agencies in Singapore have access to these resources but not freelancers.

Access to More Professionals:To deliver tailored services, professional agencies work with a highly experienced team that has expertise in every sector. They are highly qualified in graphic design, WordPress design, programming, and high-quality content, which is a big challenge to 57% of Singaporean entrepreneurs.

Best Website Design Examples and Ideas for Your Next Web Project

One way to solidify your thinking on how to design the best website for your business is to examine the sites of other individuals and brands critically. Below, we rounded up 20 sites that we believe deserve to be appreciated for their designs and overall organisation perspective.

Watabe Wedding Singapore

Watable flaunts a clean design with a colourful interface. More importantly, their CTA is the first thing you see upon landing on the website, direct but tempting.

Pictures occupy a large area. It’s simple: the company wanted to focus on what’s important while using pictures to draw your attention.

Ora Stream

A music streaming platform that lets you stream your music in high resolution, the only one of its kind in Singapore. Users can listen to their music library from anywhere and at a native resolution so long as they’re connected to the internet.

The site boasts great task-based navigational icons. It also utilises accent colours to accentuate navigational elements.

GoBear

You can easily tell GoBear was carefully planned, designed, and tested before the designing process. Their priority was on performance and usability, both of which were perfectly nailed.

Their otherworldly creativity just kills it. And you know that it took a long time to brand their website when you notice that they have a different mascot design for every single one of their products.

Spatula

Instead of going through your Instagram and reading through comments, spatula extracts them for you and organises everything into an excel sheet.

Their site is indicative of what they do. It’s also very colourful and easy to figure out. Plus, the sign-up and login buttons are among the first things that your eyes settle on upon landing on the site.

edenspiekermann

BIG. BOLD. VIBRANT.

We love it! The website tears down the boundaries of wireframes and comes up with a in your face – red no less! – awe-inspiring shout to sit up and pay attention. Its message is clear: if we can get you excited here, we can get people excited about your brand anywhere. Engage us if you want a take no prisoners brand consultancy!

Agree? Disagree with our choices? If you feel we said something in error or we missed out including your web design firm – write to us here: [email protected].

FYI we also match clients with the top web designers. Let us know what you need.

What Does A Web Designer Do

A web designer conceptualises the entire look and feel of a website including the colour scheme, the wireframes, the placement of the images, content and other interactive elements.

How Much Does Web Design Cost

A professional agency designer will typically charge $200-$500 per page. So a website of 10 pages can cost around $2000-$5000. This does not include the coding (functionality) which is the domain of web developers.

How Do I Choose A Web Design Firm

Look at their portfolio. Query them on whether they understand your industry and your business objectives. Ask them about their project team makeup. Make sure they have a comprehensive project scope with time line, and rights to redrafting at least 3 times for each page – all properly agreed in writing.

How Long Does A Typical Website Project Take

Simple customised WordPress or other basic CMS websites normally take 3-4 months. Designed and coded from scratch websites can take 8-12 months to complete realistically.

Author Bio

Tom Koh is widely recognised as a leading SEO consultant in Asia who has worked to transform the online visibility of the leading organisations such as SingTel, Capitaland, Maybank, P&G, WWF, etc. Recently he was instrumental in consulting for a New York-based US$30B fund in an US$4Bn acquisition. Tom is a Computational Science graduate of the National University of Singapore. In his free time he performs pro-bono community work and traveling. Google+